America: The Story of the USA

The US Supreme Court is not averse to grabbing headlines. It caused a major recent controversy for overturning Roe v Wade in 2022. The decisions made by the Supreme Court set precedence and define the US legal landscape. However, the small group of justices are comprised of individuals nominated by the President.

In this episode we're going to look at the politics of the Supreme Court - who are the justices and what power do they really have - as we find out... what exactly is the Supreme Court?

Joining from the faculty this week is Dr. Emma Long, Associate Professor of American History and Politics and Head of the Department of American Studies at the University of East Anglia.

Additional Resources:

WEBSITE: The Supreme Court Official Website

WEBSITE: SCOTUSblog

If you enjoy this episode, you might also like:

What Was the Constitutional Convention?

Why Does the President Only Serve Two Terms?

Is the President Above the Law?

How Are Presidents Elected?

What is the US Constitution?

Contact us: [email protected]

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Over the past 250 years, the United States of America have grown from 13 founding colonies to 50 states and multiple territories, but what does it take to become a state?

Why is expansionism so important?

And what about Native Americans?

In this episode, we explore how colonialism created a blueprint for modern America as we answer the question... how did the 50 states become the 50 states?

We're joined on this episode by Jacqueline Fear-Segal, Professor of American and Indigenous Histories at the University of East Anglia, with an interest in the American West, immigration and Americanisation.

Additional Resources:

BOOK: The Invasion of America by Francis Jennings

PAMPHLET: Common Sense by Thomas Paine

If you enjoy this episode, you might also like:

Who Are Native Americans?

How Did Slavery Impact Cherokee Nation?

What is Thanksgiving?

Contact us: [email protected]

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In the mid 1980s, author Winston Groom published a story which would, thanks to its Oscar-winning Hollywood adaptation, come to be a quintessential American tale.

Forrest Gump's life zigzags around some of the most important moments in 20th century American history. But where's the line between fact and fiction?

In this episode we dive into a modern classic and do a bit of fact-checking to answer the question... how accurate is Forrest Gump?

Joining me from the faculty today is Jon Mitchell, an Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of East Anglia. He is interested in late 20th Century US culture, with a particular interest in the representation of gender and sexuality.

See Jon's full bio

Additional Resources:

BOOK: Forrest Gump (1986) by Winston Groom

MOVIE: Forrest Gump (1994)

BOOK: Revisions of the American Adam: Innocence, Identity And Masculinity In Twentieth Century America (Continuum Literary Studies) by Jon Mitchell

If you enjoy this episode, you might also like:

What Makes Country Music so American?

Are the Oscars Still Relevant?

Why Does Everyone Love Disney?

Could Friends BE Any Bigger?

How Accurate is Forrest Gump?

Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

Get the newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

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The President of the United States is arguably the most high profile head of state, and not an easy job to win. But what does it actually take to get to the White House? How is it possible for someone to lose the national vote and still win the election? And how is it that America's democratically elected Presidents can be as divisive as Donald Trump, or as scandalous as Richard Nixon?

In this episode, we take a closer look at the election process - how it works, who can run, and why certain people seem to find it much easier to win, as we answer the question... how are Presidents elected?

Joining in from the faculty this week is Dr. Emma Long, Associate Professor of American History and Politics and Head of the Department of American Studies at the University of East Anglia.

We’re also joined by Jon Sopel, the former BBC North America Editor and author of three books about the Trump presidency, including the bestseller ‘If Only They Didn’t Speak English’. He has been at the forefront of BBC coverage of the last five presidential elections, and he now hosts daily podcast ‘The News Agents’ and spin-off show 'The News Agents USA' akongside Emily Maitlis and Lewis Goodall.

Additional resources:

BOOK: If Only They Didn’t Speak English by Jon Sopel

PODCAST: Presidential

PODCAST: Wicked Games

WEBSITE: The Living Room Candidate

If you enjoy this, you might also like:

What Was the Constitutional Convention?

Why Does the President Only Serve Two Terms?

Is the President Above the Law?

How Are Presidents Elected?

What is the US Constitution?

Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

Get the newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

Brand & advertising enquiries: [email protected]

Want to advertise with us and support the American Studies community?

Email [email protected] and let's talk.

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It's almost impossible to talk about American history without looking at slavery. The slave trade and slavery became one of the economic foundations of the US throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, but a growing anti-slavery movement created a huge political divide which ultimately led to the American Civil War.

Today, it's hard to imagine why anyone would risk their life to preserve the institution of slavery, so in this episode we are going to take a closer look at those people and their reasons. Who supported slavery? What was in it for them? And ultimately... why did America ban slavery?

Joining the podcast this week is Dr. Rebecca Fraser, a historian of 19th century America with a particular interest in the history of African Americans, especially relating to their resistance against slavery and the enslaved experience.

Additional Resources:

NOVEL: Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad (2016) TV Adaptation The Underground Railroad, Dir., Barry Jenkins, 2021 on Amazon Prime

NOVEL: Toni Morrison, Beloved, (1987)

NOVEL: Yaa Gysai, Homegoing (2016)

FILM: Harriet, Dir., Kasi Lemmons (2019)

FILM: 12 Years a Slave, Dir., Steve McQueen (2013)

BOOK: Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, eds., Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019. London: Penguin, 2021.

BOOK: Marcus Rediker, The Slave Ship: A Human History. London: John Murray 2008.

If you enjoy this episode, you might also like:

Why Did America Ban Slavery?

How Did Slavery Impact Cherokee Nation?

Who is Frederick Douglass?

What Does Kindred Tell Us About Plantation Life?

Who is Harriet Tubman?

Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

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The US Constitution has been the bedrock of United States law since its creation shortly after the American Revolution. But how does something drafted over 200 years ago remain so relevant? What exactly is the difference between the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Amendments? And what exactly is the difference between federal and state law?

In this episode we're taking a closer look at one of the most important documents ever written to answer the question... what is the Constitution?

Joining Liam this week is Dr. Emma Long, Associate Professor of American History and Politics and Head of the Department of American Studies at the University of East Anglia.

Additional Resources:

PODCAST: Constitutional podcast by the Washington Post

WEBSITE: National Constitution Center

If you enjoy this episode, you might also like:

What Was the Constitutional Convention?

Why Does the President Only Serve Two Terms?

Is the President Above the Law?

How Are Presidents Elected?

What is the US Constitution?

Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

Get the newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

Brand & advertising enquiries: [email protected]

Want to advertise with us and support the American Studies community?

Email [email protected] and let's talk.

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In this special preview episode of America: A History Podcast, we ask some of our faculty and special guests... what is America? From gun control to Black Lives Matter, the US is a land of opportunity and contradiction; a 'land of the free' but also one of the last countries to ban slavery; the 'home of the brave' where guns are the single biggest killer of children.

America is a country with a complex and complicated history, which is why we made a podcast about it.

A special thanks to the guests featured on this episode:

Robert Mays, host of The Athletic Football Show

Jon Sopel, journalist and host of The News Agents & The News Agents USA

Chris Marvin, Veteran Lead at Everytown for Gun Safety

Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

Get the newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

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Want to advertise with us and support the American Studies community?

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Welcome to America: A History Podcast, where we have a dream to do US history more bigly than anyone has done it before and make podcasts great again. Launching on July 4th 2023.

Each week, host Liam is joined by an expert from the University of East Anglia and a special guest to explore the people, places and events that make the USA what it is today, answering a different question like 'how are Presidents elected', 'what is the Supreme Court' or 'how accurate is Forrest Gump'?

This is US history without the fake news, as we have honest and sometimes sensitive conversations about the things that really matter to understand how the alleged greatest country in the world came to be.

Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

Get the newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

Brand & advertising enquiries: [email protected]

Want to advertise with us and support the American Studies community?

Email [email protected] and let's talk.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices